Kalinin had a successful two seasons with Salavat before signing with SKA St. Petersburg. He continued his success in the KHL with SKA and gained recognition as one of the most feared defensemen in the KHL. He won KHL Defenseman of the Month multiple times, was 2nd in KHL defensemen scoring in the 2011–12 season. Prior to the beginning of the 2012–13 season, he was named St. Petersburg's captain, after being a major factor in his team's Gagarin Cup victory the season before. His only season as captain was a success in returning SKA to the playoffs.